CoarseanglerSteve
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2021
- Messages
- 128
- Reaction score
- 483
- Points
- 63
- Location
- Blackpool
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Although I have done some sea fishing before, many years ago, it was either odd days, borrowing mates gear or whilst on holiday etc. using my own coarse gear. Having retired and relocated to the Fyde coast, with coarse fishing limited (especially given lockdown and the close season), I decided to bite the bullet and buy some sea gear despite being a coarse angler for almost 50 years (I started young!!).
The last few weeks have been spent scouring E Bay and Facebook for bargains, managing to pick up a Shakespeare beach caster and a nice Shimano Biomaster (am a Shimano fan with pretty much all my coarse reels being Shimmies). The local shop, Bispham Angling kindly sorted me out with terminal tackle and so I was planning my first trip, probably a daytime high water session off the Gynn Wall.
A couple days ago I saw a cheap bait pump advertised on Facebook, only a tenner, so I thought, what the hell, lets give it a go. Did a bit of research and watched as many YouTube videos as I could, accepting it will be a step learning curve.
Anyway, today it all came together. Low tide was around 9 a.m., so I left home at 7:30 - fortunately we live about 5 mins from the beach. Parked up, no one about apart from the odd dog walker. Walked out as far as the surf, but could only see a few casts. Out with the pump, using all the tips I had seen on You Tube. 15 minutes later nothing in my bucket. A few other guys had now joined me on the beach so I asked if I could watch one of them for a few minutes and we had a brief chat.
Back to my area, a few more casts were appearing now as the tide receded. Off I went again, then, to my amazement, a worm popped out from my pump. Was almost as exciting as catching a fish!!! Going a bit deeper seemed to work and although it was still mostly blanks, the occasional worm (well actually parts of a worm) was being sucked up. I knew, with my pump being only 22mm, that cutting worms would be an issue and it was. However, I managed a few complete worms and lots of parts, which I saved anyway! After about an hour I thought I had enough for my planned session later today, I did stop at the shop of the way home and picked up one wrap, just in case all mine died before I went fishing
.
Home to prepare and have some lunch , then back down to the wall for my first trial session. Not ideal conditions, quite calm but the morning sunshine had faded and it had become overcast. The sea had a nice colour, but I wasn't sure if that was good or not. Waited about 30 minutes before my first cast, about 90 minutes before high tide. The views were great, being clear enough to see the Cumbrian Hills.
After about 45 minutes, and a few casts, the tip rattled a bit. Struck, felt something but wasn't sure if it was weed or not. Wound in and ...yes...it was a fish. A small rockling emerged from the water, yes, I know its only a rockling but it saved the blank. Result!!
I had set up a carp rod to lob just in the gulley under the wall so was now fishing with 2 rods. Missed a couple little rattles on the main rod before a better bite which saw a little flounder coming to see me! Again one or two gentle bites followed but nothing hooked. As the tide started to recede, and I was starting to wonder if the close in rod was now in too shallow water the tip started bouncing and a better flounder was wound in (felt a lot bigger on a carp rod!). Missed one more bite before the tide had gone out and sand was starting to appear, so I called it a day.
I know this won't be as enthralling a report as most of those you see on here, but was a really enjoyable day, convincing me (a) that collecting my own worm is viable (meaning I can go fishing more often without worrying about bait costs) and (b) I am hooked on sea fishing after such a long lay off.
Tight lines.
The last few weeks have been spent scouring E Bay and Facebook for bargains, managing to pick up a Shakespeare beach caster and a nice Shimano Biomaster (am a Shimano fan with pretty much all my coarse reels being Shimmies). The local shop, Bispham Angling kindly sorted me out with terminal tackle and so I was planning my first trip, probably a daytime high water session off the Gynn Wall.
A couple days ago I saw a cheap bait pump advertised on Facebook, only a tenner, so I thought, what the hell, lets give it a go. Did a bit of research and watched as many YouTube videos as I could, accepting it will be a step learning curve.
Anyway, today it all came together. Low tide was around 9 a.m., so I left home at 7:30 - fortunately we live about 5 mins from the beach. Parked up, no one about apart from the odd dog walker. Walked out as far as the surf, but could only see a few casts. Out with the pump, using all the tips I had seen on You Tube. 15 minutes later nothing in my bucket. A few other guys had now joined me on the beach so I asked if I could watch one of them for a few minutes and we had a brief chat.
Back to my area, a few more casts were appearing now as the tide receded. Off I went again, then, to my amazement, a worm popped out from my pump. Was almost as exciting as catching a fish!!! Going a bit deeper seemed to work and although it was still mostly blanks, the occasional worm (well actually parts of a worm) was being sucked up. I knew, with my pump being only 22mm, that cutting worms would be an issue and it was. However, I managed a few complete worms and lots of parts, which I saved anyway! After about an hour I thought I had enough for my planned session later today, I did stop at the shop of the way home and picked up one wrap, just in case all mine died before I went fishing
.Home to prepare and have some lunch , then back down to the wall for my first trial session. Not ideal conditions, quite calm but the morning sunshine had faded and it had become overcast. The sea had a nice colour, but I wasn't sure if that was good or not. Waited about 30 minutes before my first cast, about 90 minutes before high tide. The views were great, being clear enough to see the Cumbrian Hills.
After about 45 minutes, and a few casts, the tip rattled a bit. Struck, felt something but wasn't sure if it was weed or not. Wound in and ...yes...it was a fish. A small rockling emerged from the water, yes, I know its only a rockling but it saved the blank. Result!!
I had set up a carp rod to lob just in the gulley under the wall so was now fishing with 2 rods. Missed a couple little rattles on the main rod before a better bite which saw a little flounder coming to see me! Again one or two gentle bites followed but nothing hooked. As the tide started to recede, and I was starting to wonder if the close in rod was now in too shallow water the tip started bouncing and a better flounder was wound in (felt a lot bigger on a carp rod!). Missed one more bite before the tide had gone out and sand was starting to appear, so I called it a day.
I know this won't be as enthralling a report as most of those you see on here, but was a really enjoyable day, convincing me (a) that collecting my own worm is viable (meaning I can go fishing more often without worrying about bait costs) and (b) I am hooked on sea fishing after such a long lay off.
Tight lines.
